Quiet: Chapter Three

"Wakey-wakey, gorgeous!" said a bright, cheerful male voice from behind me. "How you doin'?" When I didn't answer, said male shook my shoulders wildly until I couldn't take it anymore.

 

"Jesus H. Christ, Isaac! I was trying to sleep...ever heard of such a thing? It's a miracle of modern science, honestly. You should try it sometime."

 

He tilted my chin to make me look at him and he chuckled and said, "Sweetheart, I've tried sleep. It's nice, but not realistic. Besides, your two choices of the moment is either to stay here and be Dr. Queer food, or to get your butt in gear and make a getaway with me."

 

"What? Just you? Where's Jaden? She's...she's here, right?"

 

He smiled at me as if I was so stupid to ask such a thing. "Yeah, she's here. She's actually been waiting outside....for about two hours. Whatever Dr. Q gave you, it must have been pretty damn powerful. When I found you--like twelve hours ago--you were passed out cold. To be even more specific, you looked like you were halfway dead. I suspect the Creep planned it that way."

 

"The Creep?" I said, smiling against my will. "That's a pretty apt description. Do you know anything else about him? And about...about me being...the-"

 

"The Quiet Girl? Yeah. While I was waiting for you in here, I did some research on my iKnow and came up with some pretty interesting stuff. But first we have to get you out of here." He gave me a pair of jeans and his t-shirt, and shoved me towards a make-shift closet that was actually the boiler room.

 

I pulled on the jeans commando, since apparently I didn't have any undergarments with me and slid Isaac's t-shirt over my head. And then I realized Isaac didn't have another one. I shoved my feet into my sneakers which had somehow survived this whole ordeal and slipped out of the boiler closet.

 

"Tah-dah!" I declared, stepping out in all my glory. "Let's get out of here before the Creep notices me missing." I stopped at once, finally taking in Isaac's upper nakedness. "Ahem. Where is your shirt, mister?"

 

Isaac's azure irises flicked in my direction unconcernedly. "Are we really going to stand here debating the trials of traveling with me half-naked? Is it really that much of a problem, Amethyst?" he demanded, hands on hips.

 

"Unfortunately for you, yes, it is. I am not traveling with a naked guy friend! It is so not happening."

 

Isaac sighed melodramatically and walked closer. "Well, if you'd prefer, you can give me your shirt back and you can go naked. It's more awkward for girls, though." He gave me a boyish once-over and grinned wickedly. "'Course, I wouldn't mind all that much."

 

"You are such a pain!" I groaned, elbowing him in the stomach. "Whatever. Let's get going. We can pick up a shirt from some sketchy homeless guy if it's that much of an issue, I guess. Let's just hope it doesn't get to that point. Talking to hobos doesn't really make us that inconspicuous, if you know what I mean."

 

Then we heard a crash and a beautiful use of the f word coming from two rooms away and we simultaneously looked at each other and ran for our lives.

 

We got about as far as the stairwell before we were intercepted by a giant, terrifying...

 

Saint Bernard.

 

Well, not really terrifying...just surprising. I mean, the dog came out of nowhere, just popping out of the shadows and barreling toward us, paws on our chest until we tumbled to the ground, attacked by slobbery, overwhelming kisses.

 

"Okay, okay!" I yelled, trying to shove the dog off. The Saint Bernard wagged its tail expectantly and that's when I knew what it was asking.

 

"Oh no, puppy. No, no, no, no, no...we already have a mutated squirrel named Martin; we don't need a gargantuan Saint Bernard. Okay? Nice meeting you but we have to go." The dog gave me the sad puppy eyes and it took all my will not to wrap my arms around it and bring it with us.

 

"Come on, Isaac," I said, grabbing his arm, urging him to run. "We have to go! NOW!"

 

Isaac stood rooted to the spot, just staring at the dog. "I can't leave it behind, Am! It's homeless...and if we don't adopt it, it'll have to live with Creep for the rest of its life! Come on...please?"

 

"Not the puppy dog eyes on you, too!" I moaned, stomping my foot in frustration. "Fine! We'll take Mammoth the Saint Bernard. But. No. More. Pets! I've already got a mutated squirrel named Martin in my entourage. No more!"

 

Isaac nodded agreeably and I pulled Mammoth's collar and tugged him until he got the memo and ran with us. I knew we'd left just in time, because the doors closed behind us just as Dr. Quentin's "ARGGHHH!" rang out behind us.

 

"Nice work," I said to Isaac, high-fiving him and hurrying to meet up with Jaden at the top of the hill.

 

We. Were. Out. Of. Here!

 

"Where were you?!" Jaden yelled at us in frustration. "I've been waiting here forever! What were you, Amethyst, Sleeping Beauty who was force-fed a date-rape drug or something? You were like a dead person in there!"

 

I squinted at her. "How would you know? You were out here!"

 

Jaden blinked furiously and her face paled considerably, her gaze flickering over at Isaac and then settling on the ground. "Um. Yeah. I was out here. I was just...making up situations to pass the time. Yeah, that was it."

 

"You have always been a terrible liar, Jaden," I said, rolling my eyes and smiling at her. "C'mon now. What happened?"

 

She pointed to Isaac and said, "He happened. He took pictures of you and sent them to me while we were both waiting for you to wake up from the Land of the Dead. But seriously, Am...you were like the Sleeping Dead."

 

"Yeah...I figured as much." I spun on Isaac. "And you! What did you think, you were going to post my dead-person images on LoudBook? Not. Cool. Mister! You should be ashamed!"

 

"Holy Mother of God, Am! Calm down! You're going to have a cardiac arrest before you've even hit seventeen. You're not that old yet. Don't start acting like a mom until you're at least twenty-one, okay?" Isaac said, nudging me until I finally nodded exasperatedly.

"Okay, then. Stop being difficult, Icky, and maybe we can actually get something accomplished today. As in, get out of here. As long as we're in a five-mile radius of Dr. Quentin's laboratory, we're not safe."

"How do you know?" asked Jaden, squeezing my hand. But whether for my benefit or hers, I didn't know. Luckily, it was working its magic on me. I was beyond frightened at this point.

"While the Creep was going on and on about my immense value, I noticed he had tons of security cameras and a huge satellite tracking disk on top of his laboratory. Actually, it's sort of bothering me that he wasn't able to apprehend us."

"Why? You want to go back and be a lab rat for another couple of eternities? Yeah, sounds like fun, huh, Amethyst?" Isaac said, that smug smile resting itself on his lips.

I glared at him and he shrunk back. Ha. As you should, jerk. "No, actually, it was because that whole time you were waiting for me to get dressed so we could go, there were about five security cameras all angled in the room he had me in. He should have been able to see me...which leads me to believe he let us go. It shouldn't have been that easy. So obviously-"

"He has other plans for you in store," Jaden cut in, finishing my sentence for me.

"Spoiler alert!" I shouted, sliding her a sideways glance. "But yeah, you're right. Our escape was practically handed to us on a silver platter, and that's not normally how villains operate. So that means we have to get moving." I looked back at Isaac and saw him checking his iKnow. "Find anything interesting?"

"It's all quite interesting," he said, his eyes never leaving his phone. "But unfortunately, it more falls under the 'mystery' category than the 'helpful information' category. It seems most of it is classified."

I nearly coughed up a lung. "Did you just say 'classified?' That's...that's straight-out weird, man. I've never heard of any information being classified."

Isaac cut his eyes to me, his expression giving nothing away, which was something I especially hated. "Yeah. It seems to me the Quiets are very rare and unknown in their origin, and apparently someone wants to keep it that way. So now we look for answers elsewhere."

I paused, stopping short, and as I did so Mammoth the Saint Bernard slammed into me, almost knocking me over. Luckily Jaden was behind me and was able to steady me before we could have another 'Fainting Amethyst' episode. I wasn't real anxious to repeat the experience.

"Sounds like a great plan, Isaac. Only problem, what is 'elsewhere?' And how do you suppose we go about finding this 'elsewhere?' Under rocks? In the branches of trees? In people's basements? No offense, Icky, but you're going to have to be more clear."

Isaac sighed exasperatedly and rolled his eyes at me. "Sorry, Am, but you're on your own with this one. I'll supply ideas, but that's all. How we get these ideas accomplished is completely up to you, love."

I narrowed my eyes into slits. "Excuse me? Did you just call me love? I don't think so, mister. Sorry, but no. Nice try but next time try using my name. Most people are smart enough to call me Amethyst...but apparently it didn't pass on to you now, did it?"

He glared back at me and I knew we were both only inches away from clawing each other's throats out. At least, I knew I was, and as much as I hated him at this moment in time, I didn't really want to strangle him, either. I thought it'd be easier to just let it ride.

"Oh Jesus H. Christ, guys!" Jaden said, her eyes going wide with alarm. "They're coming! They've located us and they don't seem too happy, by the way."

"What? How?!" I screeched, my heart stopping for the longest five seconds of my life I've ever experienced.

"As I've come to understand, Dr. Quentin helped the City of Loud along in the process. I think we've just found out why he let you go. He knew putting the City of Loud on your heels would be a lot more effective. And...and I'm pretty sure he told them everything else and more. I'm not even sure if we can get away. Unfortunately, there's really no way to get off the grid in this god-awful place. God only knows what's going to happen."

I scrunched my eyes together, took a deep, shuddering breath, and said, "No. We're not waiting for rescue or death. We're going to go as far as we possibly can, and if and when they catch up to us, we're going to fight. I didn't come all this way just to be kidnapped by an evil scientist, rescued by Mr. Prince Charming over here, and get detained and/or killed minutes later." I swirled on them and grabbed their wrists. "Let's go. We wait much longer and we're sitting ducks. We'll be dead no matter what." 

 

 

 

 

Quiet: Chapter Two

By now you'd think I would have mastered the whole "cool when surprised" thing down, but apparently not. Or maybe I just haven't mastered the whole 'cool when totally and completely freaked out' thing down.

Because yeah, I was totally freaked out. A, as soon as I left the City of Loud and passed through the gates, alarms started blaring throughout the City, alerting everyone within a 50,000 -mile radius that a Citizen had become a fugitive and was fleeing for someplace other than the their current--and supposed--City of residence.

And B, I had followers. Jaden, Isaac, and for some strange reason, a mutant squirrel were in tow behind me. "What's up with the rodent?" I asked, peering curiously at the animal intruder. "Did you guys decide to be charitable along the way and adopt this...this thing?"

Honestly, it might have been rude of me, but I was sort of offended that a squirrel--a fricking SQUIRREL!--was considered important enough to come along with me. Or us, I suppose, now that Attitude Girl and Hormonal Boy were traveling with me, as well.

"Meet Marvin the Albino Squirrel," Isaac said proudly, gesturing to the squirrel. "And by the way, we didn't adopt Marvin; he decided he wanted to come and no matter what we did it was impossible to lose the little twerp." Isaac's words were sharp and meant for irritation, but he had a mischievous grin spreading on his face and he patted Marvin's head affectionately.

"Okay, no offense, guys, but I'm sort of on a mission, and having two other Citizens go 'missing' with a rampaging renegade albino squirrel named Marvin isn't going to make this journey any easier. If anything, it'll only make it harder. So, uh...mind leaving?" I bit my lip, knowing full well they weren't going anywhere.

I sighed, resigned. Maybe it was better to have friends along. After all, they'd had my back ever since I was five; maybe even longer, and even though Isaac was in his horny teenage male phase he still would back me up would I need it.

And I had a definitive gut feeling I would. Too bad my gut feelings are almost always spot on. Kind of a disappointment and definitely a downer. This was one Power I'd be happy to be without, but you don't get to choose. Go figure!

 

"Sorry, Am," Jaden said, her steely gray eyes flicking quickly to land on me and back again on the road in front of her, "But you're not going anywhere by yourself."

 

"And why not?" I persisted. So yeah, I had a pretty good idea how whiny on a scale of one to ten I was being, but frankly, I didn't give a damn. I didn't force them to come! It was their decision, so they would have to listen to me whine and bitch and moan and complain for as long as I choose to if they really were planning on staying.

 

"I'm going to be annoying, FYI," I informed them, off-handedly hoping it would make them go away. No such luck.

 

"Sorry, beautiful, but we're stuck to you like glue," Isaac said, with a wink in my direction. I threw him a disgusted sigh and kept walking, eyes firmly focused on the ground in front of me.

 

"Mmm-hmm. Well, that's nice, Icky, but go jump in a lake...and if you manage to live, don't come back."

 

Jaden threw me a startled glance. "Okay, look, Amethyst--you and I don't always see eye-to-eye, and for the most part we can agree about Isaac, but that was...really harsh."

 

I couldn't meet her penetrating gaze and when I spoke I did so to the pavement. "Yes, well, maybe that's why I wanted to come alone." I was trying to be all brave and confident and 'I take no bullshit' about all this, but in reality, it just didn't work. My voice was quavering and I was inwardly shaking (and I was sure I was going to be outwardly shaking any minute now) and my eyes kept darting back and forth every second and I could feel my legs buckling beneath me.

 

"Isaac, grab her! She's about to faint, and she'll probably crack her-"

 

Darkness was all that was left.

 

 

"WELCOME BACK TO THE living world, Amethyst," said a throaty, rasping voice from somewhere near me. "How lovely it is to finally meet you."

 

"Um..." was really all I could manage in my disorganized state of semi-consciousness. "Lovely to...meet you?" I offered weakly, collapsing back on the metal bed thing I was lying on.

 

Metal bed? No. Metal beds aren't usually a sign of anything good.

 

"Are you Dr. Quentin?" I asked, shivering as his cold as ice eyes looked me up and down, appraising what he saw.

Now I never knew Dr. Queer--what he was referred as by members of the Cautious Science Society--but I knew enough to know that being strapped down by steel restraints on a metal bed was not a good sign as a general rule. That said, I couldn't help feeling slightly relieved...

I don't know why I wasn't all out of my mind-hysterical. Maybe I'd been so much in the past five hours that I nothing really was all that shocking any more. Kind of ruins the fun, huh?

Maybe I was relieved just because I was alive. Or maybe because even if the other person was an evil scientist, the person was still...well, still a person. Another one of my kind.

"Yes, Amethyst. I am indeed Dr. Quentin, and you were brought here by your friends. They were concerned about your current state. You know, fainting and all."

I blinked and sat up, unable to because my arms and wrists were both held down. I cleared my throat meaningfully. "Ahem," I said, giving him a 'what for?' look. "While it's lovely that you are so clearly concerned about my safety, it'd be a lot easier to function if you would so kindly release my arms and wrists. Kind of hard to hold a decent conversation, you know?"

Dr. Quentin's eyebrows raised but he pressed a button on the wall and the cuffs snapped in half. Yes! I could finally move like a human being again.

"So," I said, looking around the laboratory. "Um...what have you been doing for my, uh, 'condition?'"

Up until that point he'd been studying me with a terrifying intensity and I had to resist the urge to squirm. "My dear, this is an unusual condition, you see. It's said that every five decades a certain person inherits the ability to travel between Cities, something quite unheard of and also extremely valuable." He had a malicious, calculating glint in his eyes and I inwardly shivered. When mad scientists got that gleam in their eyes it was never a good thing.

"Valuable, huh?" I said, trying to play it casually. So I was Christmas morning to Dr. Quentin. No big deal. It wasn't like he was planning on killing me or anything...right?

"Extremely," Dr. Queer continued, oblivious to my growing anxiety. "And now I've received intelligence that you are one of Them."

"And Them is...?"

"The Quiets. You have the City of Silence and the City of Loud, you see, and the Quiet is called so because they can travel between the realms and function in both. Unfortunately, they never last long...and if they do, their life is usually long and...and painful."

I gulped and my fists clenched, presumably to keep me from throwing up all over myself. "Right," I nodded, like I heard this kind of thing and talked about the fragility of my lifetime with perfect strangers all the time.

"I can see you're unnerved by this, Amethyst," Dr. Quentin said, his voice eerily calm.

You don't say! I wanted to scream. Yeah, I get told I'm going to die before I hit twenty all the time. No big deal, right? Better break out the Bucket List! Instead I said, "Um...a bit. And I'd really like to get back to my friends, if you don't mind."

The look on Quentin's face was absolutely maniacal, and I knew I was dealing with a case of Crazy-Person Syndrome.

"I'll help you every step of the way," he said, the diabolical gleam back in his eyes.

I had no doubt he meant what he said.

The only thing that worried me? I didn't know what he meant by the words. And that in and of itself was scarier than anything else I'd ever experienced.
 

Quiet: Chapter One

"Holy shit, Am!" Jaden said, jumping out of her skin when I materialized in front of her. "Could you not do that, please? It's extremely lovely you have awesome powers and whatnot, but could you spare me the heart palpitations? I'd prefer to live until I turn fifty, thank you very much." She rolled her eyes, but I could tell she wasn't at all irritated.

 

"You're no fun, J! Wouldn't you like to learn? It's very helpful, especially when you're trying to outrun bad guys."

 

She quirked her eyebrow. "Since when do you have bad guys chasing you? Last time I checked, the worst thing to befall you was Isaac attempting to look up your skirt. Speaking of Isaac, care to explain his...uh, sketchy behavior? It's creeping even me out, and we used to date." She shivered, but from whether that was to prove her point or because she was genuinely freaked out, I couldn't discern.

 

"Yeah, about that..." I scratched my head, trying to figure out how to say what I wanted to. "Um...well, he's been four years into his puberty--maybe the testosterone is finally catching up to him?"

 

Jaden cringed and then her face split into a wide grin. "It took him long enough. Would you believe all I ever got from him was a peck on the cheek? The wimp!"

 

I playfully punched her arm and said, "Come on. The City of Loud requests our presence, and you know how cranky they get when we don't show up right on time."

 

"Yeah, what's up with that, anyway? They are so crazy insane about timeliness! Don't they realize us kids have things to do and places to go? You'd think they'd have once upon a time had a childhood, but apparently not. How sad."

 

I cast her a sideways glance and said softly, "Perhaps. But I like to think they just appreciate good manners. After all, how would you like it if someone you'd took the effort to invite to your party or wedding or whatever showed up five hours late? You'd be pissed, wouldn't you?"

 

Jaden grimaced but she couldn't argue with my logic. "Whatever," she grumbled, kicking rocks across the pavement with her boots as we continued down the sidewalk to the Community City of Loud Center. "But might I just say that I get there five minutes late, not five hours!"

 

I saw her reasoning but I also saw through the Ministry of Loud's thought processes. It wasn't fair to the Behaving if they always obeyed and then they had renegade City citizens doing the exact opposite.

 

But like a good friend (and a smart one at that, mind you) I didn't say anything else, just walking side by side with her in tense silence.

 

 

YOU DIDN'T EVER TELL me what the heck this 'event' was going to be, my friend," Jaden fumed, her look absolutely murderous. Just to be on the safe side I stepped a couple feet away from her, in case she chose to use her Powers to zap me into a five-hour darkness, something I was not anxious to experience.

 

I had no idea," I lied, hoping my voice wasn't quavering. Maybe because I was truly a terrible liar. But whether or not that was a good thing...well, I suppose it remained to be determined.

 

"Amethyst, darling!" said my parents, otherwise known as Shelly and Anthony. In the City of Loud, it was encouraged--well, enforced, honestly--to call your parents by their first names, as well as all other adults living in that particular district.

 

"Hi, Shelly, hi, Anthony," I said, looking down at my scuffed, old flats in awkwardness. My parents, luckily, didn't seem to notice.

 

"I suppose today's activity is a party for the City of Loud's Behaving...not sure what, exactly, we're doing, but I'm sure we'll soon find out, eh?" said Anthony, nudging me. I gave him a weak smile which I'm sure turned out a lot more like a wince.

 

Story of my life.

 

"I saw Isaac around here somewhere, Amethyst," my mother--ahem, Shelly--said, casting a quick glance around the banquet hall.

 

"Okay, then. Well I'll go track him down...thanks. See you later?"

 

"Of course, sweetie pie," my mother--ARGGHH! Shelly!--said, giving me a fake, City of Loud-enforced smile.

 

One thing I especially hated about the City of Loud was their moral code. For example, it was forbidden to be silent for longer than two minutes during the day, and at night, while you were asleep, you were required to have a Thought Dream every other hour. Now, for your average Talkaholic, this would be no problem. But for me, on the other hand...well, I'm different. I'm not outgoing, but I'm not entirely shy, either. So what does it make me? I don't know.

 

I've been trying to find myself for a long, long, long time. And I'll be darned if I ever do. Good thing I haven't subjected myself to believing in it.

 

The City of Loud lives by vivacious, talkative, energetic and friendly people, and if and only if 99.9% percent of the population fall under that category does the City thrive. Unfortunately, for the .1% percent who either choose not to or physically can't be that type of citizen you almost always 'disappear.'

 

Not much is known about 'disappearing,' as we all know and choose not to discuss it. Why? It's simply an unpleasant topic. Basically--if you really want to know--people fall off the grid, presumably being taken to the City of Loud's 'Center for Missing Persons' which is a disclosed location. I.e. a place where no one will ever be able to access without proper authorization.

 

Although you ask me--and almost any other civilian for that matter--it's probably better off that way. Those who 'disappear' don't just 'disappear'...they get killed or are drowned in the Sea of Noise, an utterly disgusting thought. And dwelling on such a thing could quite literally be the death of you. So I don't recommend it.

 

Just as I was drowning in my own thoughts, a tap on my shoulder jolted me out of the prison bars of my own mind. "Hello, gorgeous!"

 

I gritted my teeth and shook Isaac's hand off my shoulders. "Thank you and get off," I said, in my low tone of voice. "Now that you've said hi, mind going somewhere else?"

 

"What? Have a problem with me, Amethyst?"

 

"Yeah. Actually, I do. Since when did you stop being a guy friend and move into 'horny, potentially boyfriend' territory? I want my six year-old guy friend Isaac back."

 

Isaac stepped back and gave me a long, hard look. "Care to tell me what's on your mind, Am? I know it's much more than just my 'transformation,' as you so kindly call my guy phase. Come on. Out with the explanations!"

 

I sighed and rubbed my eyes, trying desperately to ward off an impending migraine, but I could already tell it was fruitless, so I dropped my hands and they fell limply by my side. "Why do you have to know me so fricking well?!" I demanded, more to myself than to him. Damn him for knowing everything about me! ARGGHH!!!

 

"I'm just-"

 

Isaac looked at me with a knowing grin on his face. "Ah. Is it that time of month again? I thought your PMS-ing was over. Wasn't it? 'Cause I can't take another week of crying and temper tantrums and whining and-"

 

"Oh shut up!!" I yelled, giving him an actual punch to his chest. "Why don't you just leave me alone? That way you don't have to deal with me when I start 'PMS-ing.' You should be grateful I'm so fricking nice, Icky."

 

"Oh come on, now, Am! You're not still hung up on the Mysterious Globules Incident are you?" he peered at me and saw the answer. "Dear God! I swear, Amethyst, sometimes you're not worth the trouble."

 

"Great! Well if that's how you feel, how about this? Leave. Me. Alone."

 

I didn't wait for a response. I turned on my heel and strode out of the Community City of Loud Center, not stopping or glancing back when I heard Isaac's remorseful "AMETHYST!" calling me from behind.

 

And just like that, I knew what I was going to do.

 

I was going to the City of Silence, and hope that things there would be better. How or even if I could do it, I didn't know. But I think it was worth trying. Things couldn't get worse than they already were.

 

The way I saw it, improvement was the only available option.

 

I took in a deep, shuddering breath and slowly walked past the City of Loud's gates.

 

 

 

 

 

Story One: Quiet (overview)

Overview of "Quiet"

Basic Background: in a future Europe, there lies the City of Loud and the City of Silence, and there is only one person who can travel from one City to another, the Quiet Girl. She does not know her abilities and this makes her life dangerous--in more ways than one. With the help of a long-lost friend and a childhood guy friend turned potential love interest, she enters a world of betrayal and cunning strangers, in a tug-of-war, the prize being her life.

Characters (give or take; subject to change):

• Amethyst: the Quiet Girl
• Jaden: Amethyst's best friend
• Isaac: Amethyst's childhood boy friend and recently-turned love interest
• Doctor Quentin: the antagonist; DQ is the main factor vying for Amethyst's life, even if it means destroying her in the process of draining her powers
• Shelly and Anthony: Amethyst's parents
• Other characters (TBD as story progresses)